How to Recover Categories Data

Blackbirdx61

I downloaded the most current patch for DAZ4.6 today through the install manager. after it loaded I find, all my categories Data is gone.
As the categories tool is the main way I organize my content library this is pretty much a disaster, and wholly unacceptable;

I have tried scanning known directories for files, and recovering Metadata, neither has had any impact the Categories tool looks now like I never once used it - point of fact it does not even seem to have the default subcategories it came with, all that remains is the root directory.
I further find all my shortcut Icons are pointing at the Air... beautiful work Devs really.

Any ideas how that data can be recovered, it would take me days if not weeks to repopulate by hand.

Jaderail

If using DAZ Studio Categories you should have been doing Export User Data after every change you made to the Categories. If not any error in your DataBase file would have made all your work disappear to never come back. If you never did Export User Data all your categories are now gone. To recover Categories if you did Export user data it is Metadata Re-Import with the User data check mark to bring it all back.

Blackbirdx61

Thanks J. I will have to get in the Habit of exporting that file.
I did get lucky though, in that I removed uninstalled all the files I installed this afternoon, and just reinstalled the app, and when I restarted it, I found my category data had been recovered; so it just looks like a corrupt load on the App itself which appears to be working now.. BB.

mark128

Blackbirdx61 said:

Thanks J. I will have to get in the Habit of exporting that file.
I did get lucky though, in that I removed uninstalled all the files I installed this afternoon, and just reinstalled the app, and when I restarted it, I found my category data had been recovered; so it just looks like a corrupt load on the App itself which appears to be working now.. BB.

The most recent patch for DAZ Studio includes support for a PostgreSQL data base for CMS as well as the Valentina supported by earlier versions.

There should have been a new PostgreSQL product and a Valentina to PostgreSQL data base conversion product. It sounds to me like the PostgreSQL product got installed and DAZ Studio was using the PostgreSQL data base, but the conversion product either did not get installed or did not work correctly, so your data base did not get converted.

Now that you have un-installed the PostgreSQL data base, DAZ Studio has gone back to using the Valentina data base that still has all your category data.

When I did the install, the conversion utility worked on my system. If you have a lot of category data, it will take 10-20 minutes. If the conversion utility installs in a few seconds, then it didn't work. Some people have had that problem.

If you have all your meta data, you can try doing the following:

1) Export User Data, which you should be doing regularly if you create your own category data.
2) Install the PostgreSQL data base.
3) Install the Valentina to PostgreSQL conversion utility.
4) Start up DAZ Studio and check the log file to make sure it is using PostgreSQL
5) If the conversion utility failed again, try re-importing all your meta data and the user data you saved.

PostgreSQL does have some issues with PCs running ZoneAlarm. If you cannot get it to work, uninstall PostgreSQL and DAZ should fall back to your Valentina data base again.